The present embodiments relate to altering the surface area of cylindrical objects, such as for example pipes and tubes, for increasing heat transfer at same.
It is desirable to increase a surface area of pipes and tubes (collectively “piping”) in order to increase their heat transfer efficiency. Such pipes are used in, for example, heat exchangers and condensers. Known methods include chemical or mechanical joining of fins or wings to existing piping to increase the surface area of said piping to bring about heat transfer efficiency. However, these known processes are labor intensive, which results in increased cost, and are limited in the temperature and the fabrication of the surface area of the piping. For example, the fins which are welded or joined to the piping are usually limited to a lower temperature and are expensive to fabricate due to the exacting tolerances required of the fins.
In addition, certain alloys cannot be used to fabricate the fins because of the metallurgical or other physical differences between the fins and the base metal used for the existing piping. The physical or molecular differences between the material of the fins and the base metal of the piping may sometimes result in incompatibility of these elements such that the structural integrity of the piping is compromised due to the weakened joint between the components.
It is also common for fins only to be available in certain repetitive shapes that disallow for novel, particular patterns that could be used to further enhance turbulent or other fluid effects during the heat transfer. While mechanical machining allows almost all types of metals to be machined for the piping, the cost to do so for a myriad of different types of pipes can be unusually expensive, and therefore the related cost for the area to have an increased ratio of surface heat transfer effect by direct machining of said surface is generally prohibitive.
It would therefore be desirable to have an apparatus and method for use with all types of metallic piping to increase the heat transfer effect at a surface of said piping with minimal labor and material costs.